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Tuesday, August 21, 2007

A few many things prompted me to make this lovely "tartelette" seen in the picutures as well as a few others in the past couple of days. Last week I was given a good 10 pound basket filled to the rim with lovely figs from one of my clients' extremely prolific fig tree. "Yippee!" I scream as I love fresh figs. We started eating them fresh, the grilled with melting goat cheese, cut up in salad or with pork tenderloin. Then came the fig chutneys, fig jams, fig cakes and finaly these "Fig Almond Frangipane Tartelettes". It turns out that Sophie likes them too and B. will eat anything covered with sugar!

I was also trying to find a suitable local crop to make a dessert for Sugar High Friday hosted this month by Johanna of the Passionate Cook . It turns out that the earliest colonists from England and Barbadoes landing in South Carolina found a bounty of foods in their new land, including peaches, figs, muscadines, pumpkins, squash, game, fish, nuts, and corn. Fig trees are almost as widespread as pecan trees here (my pecans seems about ready to implode) and the tiny fruits they produce packs a punch of flavor and juice. When I think about it, I don't recall ever buying a single fig that was not from Charleston since I moved here. The common figs we get may not be the most sought after variety but they work just great for everyday life.

I make this kind of tartlets (and sometimes bigger pie) often throughout the year using different seasonal fruits. I love it with pears,apples, peaches, and plums, but quite frankly I think any fruit tastes wonderful when paired with a fragrant almond frangipane cream.

I better not let the hubby see this or he'll be begging me to make this pronto. Hm that's not a bad idea since I love figs too! But unlike you I did not get a basketful of them and they are so darn expensive...okay I'm blabbering now...Beautiful tart!

I agree with B, anything covered in sugar has to be a good thing! Figs are something I look forward to every year, and I love eating them freshly picked from the tree too, but you have taken their figgy goodness to a whole new level with these Tartelettes...they look so pretty, and the pastry looks like it would just melt in your mouth. :-)

You are such an inspiration! I absolutely love your photos, descriptions and blog as a whole. I am living with family who don't eggs, but once I get the chance, I am SO making this frangipane fig tart. Especially since my blog is http://figswithbri.com/Thanks again for the smile inducing posts and inspiration. You do know you could do this for a living!? People would come from far and near to buy your desserts.

figs are a great favourite of mine - the almond pairing must be a winner. i will have to look out for some figs now that i am back after a long vacation... in austria, all i saw was damsons - which would probably work just as well in your tartelettes!